Top 15 Longest Fantasy Series of All Time

Framing: a “Quest” by Total Word Count

The video is framed like a “quest” to rank the longest fantasy series ever written—measured not by number of books, but by total word count. The host repeatedly emphasizes that fantasy “bricks” aren’t only long; they’re time-consuming commitments that build attachment to characters and the world.

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Standout Entries and Why They’re Notable

The Dresden Files (Jim Butcher)

• Begins an ongoing urban fantasy run.
• By Book 18, it’s around 2.3 million words (with the host noting they had to manually verify the figure).
• The host highlights the series’ quality growth over time.
• Mentions Butcher’s plan to end around 25 books, including a concluding trilogy.

Redwall (Brian Jacques)

• Nostalgic and warmly received.
• The host reflects on childhood time spent with the abbey and Mossflower Woods.
• Praises the food descriptions.
• Notes the series remains highly readable even now.

Dragonriders of Pern (Anne McCaffrey, with Todd McCaffrey)

• Treated as a “genre bender” despite being sci-fi/fantasy-adjacent.
• The host credits its major influence on later dragon-rider tropes:
  • Suggests it predates modern conventions.
  • Popularized the idea of dragons as companions with a rider bond.
• Acknowledges co-authorship in later installments.

Sword of Truth (Terry Goodkind)

• Presented as both a word-count titan and a controversy magnet.
• The host stresses the books are known for:
  • Extremely long monologues
  • Heavy philosophy and politics
• The host avoids recommending it due to reported problematic content and author reputation.
• Still notes mainstream success and the TV adaptation (Legend of the Seeker).

Malazan: Book of the Fallen (Steven Erikson)

• Described with awe and intensity—fantasy “on hard mode.”
• Character/POV sprawl plus dense history and metaphysics.
• Even includes surreal elements (e.g., talking toads and “crippled gods”).
• Clarifies word-count scope:
  • Counts only Erikson’s core ten-book saga
  • Not the broader shared-universe expansion

Saga of Recluse (L.E. Modesitt Jr.)

• “Hard to research” because word counts aren’t readily available.
• Word totals are estimated based on typical novel length.
• Multi-generational premise centered on tension between order and chaos across eras.

Discworld (Terry Pratchett)

• Praised as the funniest “dense” entry.
• 41 novels, one cohesive world, but not one continuous epic plot.
• More like interconnected mini-series (e.g., City Watch, witches, Death).
• Called a fantasy buffet that secretly satirizes real-world issues.
• Strong argument that it’s accessible despite the volume.

Realm of the Elderlings (Robin Hobb)

• The emotional centerpiece.
• Slow-burn intimacy and deep attachment to characters.
• Focus on how hard the series makes grief, friendships, trauma, and betrayals hit.
• Spans multiple sub-trilogies/series, totaling around 3.8 million words.

Shannara (Terry Brooks)

• Framed as an overlooked mega-saga with historic influence.
• Initially Lord of the Rings–inspired, later developing its own identity.
• Mentions a TV adaptation, but notes it’s discussed less now.

Rift War Cycle (Raymond E. Feist)

• Praised for fun, generational continuity, and expansive scope.
• Built around rifts between worlds enabling portal warfare and cosmic-scale politics.

Xanth (Piers Anthony)

• Handled with warnings.
• Notes length and whimsical wordplay, but refuses adult recommendation due to:
  • Reports of problematic sexual content
  • Misogyny/toxic themes
  • Example title: The Color of Her Panties

Wheel of Time (Robert Jordan, completed by Brandon Sanderson)

• Endorsed as “definitive epic fantasy.”
• Massive word totals (~4.4 million).
• Slow-burn character arcs and a detailed magic/political system.
• Farm-boy-to-legend trajectory across 15 books.

Legend of Drizzt (R.A. Salvatore)

• Nostalgic and personal.
• The host loves Drizzt’s loneliness/melancholy from living longer than friends.
• Praises iconic companionship, including astral panther Guenhwyvar.
• Word count is estimated due to lack of definitive totals.

Cosmere (Brandon Sanderson)

• Treated as a universe, not a single series.
• Emphasizes one author with interlinked threads.
• Predicts it could become enormous:
  • Stormlight already makes up about half the current word count.

Valdemar (Mercedes Lackey)

• Another universe-scale entry.
• Described as emotionally driven and spanning millennia.
• Features herald-magic bonded companions.

The Wandering Inn (Pirate Abbot)

• The biggest modern “respect” moment.
• A web serial nearing ~15 million words, still ongoing.
• The host marvels at the sheer volume and compares it humorously:
  • “Multiple times Wheel of Time”
  • Far beyond Harry Potter

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Multi-Author Universes (Widening the Scope)

Dragonlance

• Classic D&D-style quest fantasy with many authors.
• Estimated roughly at tens of millions of words.

Forgotten Realms

• Treated as the ultimate multi-author heavyweight.
• 300+ novels and estimated total of roughly 30–40 million words.

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Jokes, Reactions, and Tone

• Recurring exaggerations like:
  • “this could be a weapon”
  • “TBR expanding”
• Playful comparisons:
  • Discworld as a fantasy buffet
  • Malazan as fantasy on hard mode
  • The Wandering Inn as a hat-off respect moment
• Some entries are balanced with caution, especially:
  • Xanth
  • Sword of Truth
  • Where the discussion shifts from “look how long” to “be aware of content issues.”

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Overall “Winner” Logic

• Single-author winner: The Wandering Inn (Pirate Abbot) — by total word count.
• Multi-author universe winner: Forgotten Realms (D&D world) — by breadth of books and authors.

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Mentioned Personalities (Authors/Creators)

• Jim Butcher
• Brian Jacques
• Anne McCaffrey, Todd McCaffrey
• Michael R. Miller
• Blake and Raven Penn
• Terry Goodkind
• Steven Erikson
• L.E. Modesitt Jr.
• Terry Pratchett
• Robin Hobb
• Terry Brooks
• Raymond E. Feist
• Piers Anthony
• Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson
• R.A. Salvatore
• Mercedes Lackey
• Pirate Abbot
• Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman

Mentioned but not included in the main fantasy list:

• D&D / Forgotten Realms overall, plus references to Warhammer 40k and Star Wars expanded universe.